BUFFALO, N.Y. — Holiday Valley is bringing back its full-scale New Year's Eve celebration to ring in 2022, and it's not just for skiers and snowboarders.
The free, family-friendly lodge party starts at 9 p.m. with food, music, and entertainment.
Then at 11:30, the crowd heads outside to watch the groomer's parade, followed by the torchlit parade. It's a special tradition for intermediate to advanced skiers.
“They’re like a road flare like a truck would have, and you hold on, sometimes they give you two. Sometimes just one. You have to hold it out away from you, definitely recommend to wear older clothing, old gloves, because if you let it drip on your parka it will definitely cause an issue there," Marketing Director Jane Eshbaugh described to 2 On Your Side.
“You get to the top, they light the flares, and then they ski down in formation, in a long snake, and it’s beautiful. The photographs are cool because they do it on a time-lapse so it looks like a long red line coming down."
The downhill parades are followed by a big fireworks show that can be seen from all around the Ellicottville resort.
“You can park in different locations around the base area, anybody’s welcome to come into the lodge, have a great time and be here with your family or your friends, or whatever and just enjoy ringing in the new year," Eshbaugh said.
Full details are available here.